Multiple electric connectors



H. w. BATCHELLER 2,872,658

MULTIPLE ELECTRIC CONNECTORS FeB. 3 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1955 Feb. 3, 1959 H. w. BATCHELLER I $872,658

MULTIPLE ELECTRIC CONNECTORS Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Shet 2 United 2,872,658 MULTIPLE ELECTRIC CONNECTQRS Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,551

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-220) This invention relates to multiple electrical connector members of the male-and-female type. Connectors of this description are widely used in wiring various kinds of electrical appliances in which it is often convenient or desirable to connect together a number of wires. To facilitate such connections, a multiple connector member may be mounted in the appliance to receive and be connected to individual complemental connector members which have previously been attached to an end of an equal number of wires. Such wires can thus be quickly and easily connected to the multiple connector, which acts as a sort of bus bar, and therefore to one another. It is an object of the invention to provide a multiple connector which is simple and economical to manufacture. On the drawings 7 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, one part being shown detached;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a smaller embodiment of the invention, with complemental connector members being shown;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention, one part being detached;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strip of insulation for use as a base for a connector embodying the invention.

The multiple connector shown in Figure 1 comprises a slab 10 of any suitable rigid insulating material. This slab is provided with one or more slots 12. In each slot 12 is inserted the longitudinal rib 16 of a conductor which can easily be made by cutting a suitable blank from sheet or strip metal of suitable gauge, bending the blank sharply on a median line to form the rib 16, and bending individual tongues 20 outward in opposite directions and upward in parallel planes to form pairs of spaced connector members, three pairs of such members being shown in the detached part in Figure 1.

The rib 16, which is substantially twice the thickness of the sheet stock from which the conductor is made, is thrust into the slot 12 which has been shaped to be fitted snugly by the rib 16. The latter is of suflicient width to project slightly below the plane of the bottom of the slab 10. This projecting portion is then peened or spread at the fold as indicated at 22 in Figure 4.

This will ordinarily press the margins of the lower tates Patent 0 orifice of the slot 12 back so as to flare this orifice, the spread portion of the rib thus locking the conductor to the slab it If desired, the orifice can be flared as at 14 before the rib is inserted in the slot. it is evident that the slot 12 can be made shorter or longer to be fitted by conductors having one or more pairs of tongues For example, in Figure 2 is illustrated a multiple connector consisting of a slab it) with a slot 12 in which is secured a conductor having a single pair of tongues 20'.

The tongues 20 and 20 are shown as male members of connectors of the male-and-female type, complementary members 24 being illustrated in Figure 2 as attached to individual wires 26.

The multiple connector shown in Figures 5 and 6 has one or more conductors of the same type as those shown in Figures 1 and 2, each conductor being made of sheet metal stock cut and bent to form a rib 30 with one or more pairs of parallel tongues 32 for connector members. Each member 32 is adapted to join with a complemental connector member 34 attached to a wire 36. The conductors are mounted on bases 40 which are of plastic insulating material extruded into fiat strips having a plane face 42 on one side and one or more parallel channels 44 on the other side. A slot 46 for each conductor to be mounted on the base is cut through from the plane face to a channel 44, the orifice of each slot in a channel being flared as at 48. The rib 30 is made to project beyond the orifice 48, the projecting portion being peened or flattened to fill the flared orifice and lock the conductor to the face of the base 40. In the example shown in Figure 5, the base 40 has two channels 44 in its under face, and the several conductors are secured in slots 46 which are staggered. Wider extruded strips of insulating plastic material may be employed such, for example, as the strip 60 shown in Figure 7, this strip having four channels 62 in its under face. Extruded strips of this kind can be obtained in any lengths, and pieces can be cut off as desired to accommodate any arrangement of conductors.

The multiple connectors herein described are simple in structure and easy to make and assemble.

I claim:

A multiple electric connector comprising a rigid slab of insulation having a channel in its rear face and a slot narrower than said channel extending through said slab from the front face thereof to said' channel, and a metal part of sheet stock having a doubled portion forming a rib slightly, longer than the depth of said slot and a pair of parallel tongues laterally otlset from said rib, said tongues projecting forward from the front face of said slab, the rear end of said rib being spread against the bottom of said channel to lock said metal part to said slab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,114,719 Beck Oct. 27, 1914 2,433,358 Garberdiug Dec. 30, 1947 2,475,448 Cusato July 5, 1949 2,598,824 ONeill et a1. June 3, 1952 

